Cable system operators or other networks operators feed streaming media to a gateway device for distribution in a consumer's home. The gateway device can offer a singular means to access all forms of content-live, on-demand, online, over-the-top, or Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) within homes today. The gateway enables connection to the home network devices, for example by connecting to a WiFi router or a Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) connection that provides IP over in-home coaxial cabling.
Consumers desire to use devices that comply with a common standards compliant approach to access streaming video from a home gateway, so that all their home devices will be able to receive streaming video content provided from the same home gateway. DTCP is a standard defined for a significant number of consumer devices. Apple's HLS is another standard often mandated by Apple to access content using its devices. DTCP and HLS are not compatible, but are close in some ways. It is desirable to use HLS player devices on DTCP compliant systems.
When an IP device in the home is a mobile client, like an iPad, it can travel and appear outside the home. The user outside the home may still desire to stream content from his home gateway's storage. To stream content from that gateway, cable box or DVR that are DTCP compatible using a WiFi router to a remote location, DTCP imposes certain requirements. Apple imposes other requirements based upon its HLS standard that are mandatory when remote connection occurs over a 3G or 4G network. Content provided from gateways, cable boxes and DVRs further encrypt their content or have other digital rights management schemes in place to prevent unauthorized copying or transfer of media content.
It is desirable for the DTCP standard to be implemented so that it is compatible with the HLS standard used by Apple® devices that run the iOS® operating system, such as the iPhone® and iPad®, allowing an HLS player to operate with a DTCP compatible system.